XIII
Recent Special Assignments
In addition to performing such specialized missions as had become
routine with nuclear detonations, it, became a primary and continuing
mission of the sampling aircraft and crews to conduct daily surveillance
along the periphery of the Asiatic mainland;

a weekly schedule of gaseous

and particulate samples from four separate latitudinal areas of the earth;

and readiness for immediate deployment of a force capability to any

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accessible region of the globe for intensified maximum collection of nuclear
gamples or debris connected with foreign nuclear detonations.*~

Plans for

the world-wide sampling program were drawn up jointly by representatives

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from the Air Force Technical Applications Center, Strategic Air Command,
Air Research and Development Command, Alaskan Air Command, the Pacific
Area Command, Air Materiel Command, Military Air Transport Service, and
the Air Weather Service.

Authority for the Ad Hoc Committee directed:

Review problem areas and make recommendations to the Air Staff on the best
ways and means to implement an expanded program in response to new and
expanded requirements from Air Force Technical Applications Center.>?
Resources available for implementing the expanded program consisted
of eight RB-57B and two B-57C aircraft from the Air Force Special Weapons

Center;

six RB-S7A aircraft assigned to Pacific Area Command, Air Forces

four B-57 aircraft of the Alaskan Air Command; and eighteen WB-50 aircraft

assigned to the Air Weather Service,

Altogether 17 officers, 760 airmen

and 9 civilian specialists were available for accomplishment of the program?

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SWEH-2-003);

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